INLAND WATERWAYS

New Deliveries for Inland Towboat Companies

Olive Parker is first towboat built by C&C for Parker Towing.

C&C Marine and Repair, Belle Chasse, La., delivered the M/V Olive Parker, its first vessel built for Tuscaloosa, Ala., headquartered Parker Towing Company last month.

Constructed based on a collaborative design by Parker Towing and CT Marine LLC of Portland, Maine, the 4,400-horsepower towboat measures 147.5 by 34 by 10 feet, 9 inches and has a 33 foot high pilothouse eyeline.

The vessel is powered by two owner-furnished CAT 3516B main engines, paired with two Reintjes WAF 873 HL-HR reduction gears supplied by Karl Senner LLC. Service power is provided by two John Deere 6068 AFM 85, 150 kW generators. The conventional steering system hydraulic power unit, along with the alarm and monitoring system, were provided by Eagle Control Systems. The towboat’s two 100-inch diameter stainless-steel fixed pitch propellers were provided by Sound Propeller Systems Inc.

The towboat’s accommodations offer a total of 10 beds, with the complete joiner system being provided by Kern Martin Services Inc.

The navigation and communication package, provided by Wheelhouse Electronics, includes Furuno radar equipment, transducer, satellite compass, AIS system and loud hailer, as well as a Standard VHF radio, Alphatron swingmeter, Young weather sensor, and Intellian Satellite TV antenna. The vessel is also equipped with two Carlisle and Finch 1,000-Watt searchlights.

The towboat is outfitted with a pair of Nabrico 60-ton winches, and a through-thedeck capstan from Schoellhorn-Albrecht.

For additional crew safety, the Olive Parker is equipped with a Novec 1230 “Clean Agent” fire suppression system. The fire detection and suppression system were both provided and installed by the Herbert Hiller Company.

“During our process of selecting shipyards for our new vessel construction program, C&C was one of the facilities whose reputation for quality really stood out in the industry,” said Terah Huckabee, Senior Vice-President of Parker Towing Company. “They employ state of the art processes in an all-weather facility with the majority of assembly being performed within enclosed warehouse bays. The M/V Olive Parker is our first project with C&C and, we can say without a doubt, they certainly lived up to their reputation.”

Also in June, Mandeville, La., headquartered Florida Marine Transporters Inc. (FMT) took delivery of its third 120- by 35-foot river towboat built by Metal Shark’s Bayou La Batre, Ala., shipyard.

The four-decked, welded-steel, USCG Subchapter M-compliant towboat named Gianna Hull was designed by John W. Gilbert Associates Inc. Its twin CAT marine diesel engines deliver over 2,000 hp. each and turn 100- by 69-inch stainless steel propellers through Twin Disc reverse reduction gears with a 6.56:1 ratio. Sleeping accommodations and facilities have been provided for a nine-person crew.

The new towboat is the third delivery in a three-vessel contract with FMT that was announced in late 2018, following Metal Shark’s acquisition of the assets of Horizon Shipbuilding earlier that year. With the purchase, Metal Shark, best known as a builder of welded aluminum vessels, assumed ownership of a fully developed Alabama shipyard and began its expansion into steel shipbuilding, refit, and repair.

“The Metal Shark Alabama team has enjoyed working with FMT, and we’re proud to conclude this three-vessel production run with the delivery of the Gianna Hull,” said Doug Barrow, vice president of Metal Shark Alabama. “The pandemic posed some challenges, but we were able to keep our projects moving forward by working together and looking out for each other. I believe that deep mutual respect and understanding were forged between our team and FMT’s representatives through our close cooperation, and through continual process improvement we were able to show an increase in efficiency with each consecutive build. I know these vessels will serve the FMT fleet well, and we would gladly build with FMT again.”

“Today we celebrate the three-year anniversary of Metal Shark Alabama with the successful delivery of our third towboat for Florida Marine Transporters,” said Metal Shark CEO Chris Allard. “I’d like to thank FMT owner Mr. Dennis Pasentine for his support and his trust in us as we launched our newest shipbuilding facility. Over the past three years we have seen our Alabama yard flourish with a succession of impressive new builds and growing activity in the refit, repair, and conversion business, as we take on increasingly complex hull lengthening and vessel conversion projects. I’d like to congratulate all of our Alabama employees on their success and thank them for their commitment.”

The 120- by 35-foot inland towboat Gianna Hull just delivered to Florida Marine Transporters in Louisiana.